


Rebuilt from inside (and we both know why)

by Sparklyfairymira (myonetruelove)



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:40:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27458899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myonetruelove/pseuds/Sparklyfairymira
Summary: When Octavia moves to Polis she doesn't expect to fall for Lincoln as quickly as she does. The only issue? Lincoln is a single dad and his daughter doesn't take well to the idea of her dad dating.
Relationships: Octavia Blake/Lincoln
Comments: 7
Kudos: 28
Collections: The t100 Writers for BLM Initiative





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [munequita](https://archiveofourown.org/users/munequita/gifts).



> Well, I'm back with another prompt fill! This was a prompt for t100 writers for BLM initiative and we are still taking prompts. Please check out [our carrd here](t100fic-for-blm.carrd.co) to see what we're all about. Is there a Christmas fic you'd love to read? A New Years' story you want to read? A song you KNOW needs to be made into a video? Or want a fic trailer done for your fic (because I'm getting quite good at those lol). If you want to donate, but don't know what to prompt we've got you covered there too.
> 
> If you're interested in seeing what else I'm writing and what my planned publication dates for that is, please check out my Tumblr post [HERE](https://sparklyfairymira.tumblr.com/post/632973715782729728/prompt-fic-updates). 
> 
> Title is from "You're Mine" by Disturbed. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!!! Also, thank you to E for betaing this for me as once I finish writing I have zero desire to look over it again. Lol. And thank you to Brooke for making me the amazing moodboard!!!!

“Okay, guys. Go ahead and take your places,” a large man says as muscles ripple beneath the tight shirt he wears as he steps to the front of the classroom. He presses a button on the remote in his hand before tossing it on top of a bag. “Down with the Sickness” starts pounding through the speakers, causing Octavia’s energy levels to rise immediately.

“For those of you that don’t know, I’m Lincoln, and welcome to beginner’s kickboxing. We’re going to start off with a quick warmup and then move right into the workout.” Lincoln looks around the room. “Let’s start with some overhead squats, ten of those.” 

Octavia follows his movements, admiring his body as she does. Damn, he’s hot as hell. 

“Okay, next we’re going to do some forward jump rope. Just bounce on the balls of your feet, feel the energy,” Lincoln keeps moving and as the song changes, he moves them into the workout.

Octavia follows along easily. She’d only signed up for the beginner’s class because she doesn’t like to go straight to an advanced class without knowing the instructor first. 

_Left jab. Right jab. Knee. Switch kick. Left. Right. Undercut. Forward kick._

The moves are easy, second nature but Octavia is still working up a sweat. She feels Lincoln’s eyes on her throughout the class but avoids meeting his gaze. Instead, she chooses to watch the way his muscles ripple as he leads them through the workout. Now, this is the way to workout.

“Okay, let’s do a quick cool down and then we’re done,” Lincoln calls.

Octavia follows him through the workout and once he calls the class she heads to her bag. That had been a good workout—even for a beginner class. Octavia grabs a towel from the top of her bag, wiping down her face. She thinks that she’ll like this gym if this class—and this teacher—are anything to go by. She drinks from her water bottle greedily before throwing her bag over her shoulder and heading to the door. Lincoln stands there speaking to everyone as they leave.

“Hi,” he says as she approaches. “You’re new.”

Octavia smiles. “I am. I’m Octavia.”

“Lincoln,” he says as he extends his hand to her. “But you knew that already.”  
  


Octavia shakes his hand as she nods. “True, but it’s always best to be sure, right?”

“True. So how long have you been kickboxing?” Lincoln laughs at her raised eyebrow. “It’s very obvious that you’re not new to this.”

“Kickboxing, martial arts, actual boxing—you name it, I’ve probably done it.” Octavia shrugs. “I had some anger issues in high school so my older brother enrolled me in any class he could afford.”

Lincoln looks like he wants to ask, but he doesn’t. “That makes sense. So are you planning to come back?”

Octavia nods. “Yeah, I like the vibe here. I just moved to town a few days ago. This is the second gym I’ve tried—the first one was not my kind of place.”

“Let me guess? Feel the Burn?” 

“How’d you guess?” Octavia laughs, shaking her head. “Is it really that bad?”

Lincoln shrugs. “Well, there are only three gyms in this town and that one tends to work only for a certain type of people.”

“You mean rich white soccer moms?” Octavia nods. “That tracks.”

Lincoln bursts out laughing. “Well, I wouldn’t have put it that way.”

“Well, I would.” She shrugs. “I’m a little blunt. Or a lot blunt depending on my mood. What’s the point in sugar-coating things, ya know? Might as well say what you mean.”

Lincoln nods. “A straight shooter, huh? I can get behind it.” He glances behind him for a moment before looking back to her. “In that case, how would you feel about going out with me?”

Octavia’s eyebrows shoot up. “Well, I wouldn’t be against it.”

“Good. Hang on one second.” He runs over to the front of the room, grabbing his bag, pulling his phone from it as he walks back over to her. He hands it to her. “Add your number?”

“Sure.” Octavia grabs the phone and adds her name and number before handing it back to him. “Is there a particular time you’d like to go out?”

“Friday night? The fair’s in town. We could do that. Assuming you’re not opposed to fairs.” Lincoln smiles as he slides his phone back into his bag.

Octavia shakes her head as Lincoln holds the door open for her. “No, a fair sounds great. I’m a big fan of rides. And food.”

“That works out well then.” Lincoln stops when they reach the end of the hallway. “I’ve got another class in ten so I’ve got to run, but I’ll call you to set up the details?”

“Sounds great.” Octavia grins up at him. “I’ll be back later this week though for more classes so hopefully I’ll see you then.”

“Just let me know when you’re coming for classes and I’ll make a point to say hello if I can.” He glances up as someone calls his name. “It was really nice to meet you, Octavia.”

“You too.” Octavia stands there grinning like an idiot as he walks away. She can’t wait to tell Clarke. She’s been here for less than a week and she already has a date—that’s a new record. After Lincoln ducks into a room, she shakes her head. She needs to go grab some dinner and head back to the ranch. Work starts early there and she doesn’t want to be in town too late. 

She waves at the receptionist as she heads to the door. She’ll just drop her bag in her car and then walk over to the diner—they’ve got amazing burgers and shakes. She’s a bit of a mess since she just got done with class, but she hates showering at gyms. She’s sure no one will mind too much that she’s all sweaty and if they do? Well, they can go screw themselves. 

* * *

“O?” Clarke’s voice is slightly concerned as her face appears on Octavia’s iPad. “What’s up?”

Octavia turns around from where she is standing in front of her closet. “I need help, Clarke. I have no idea what to wear.”

“Wear for what?” Clarke asks, distracted as she looks away from the screen. “Aiden! Get down from there! Bell, can you get your son, please? I’m trying to talk to O.”

Bellamy’s face appears over Clarke’s shoulder. “Hey, O.”

“Hey, big brother.” Octavia sends him a quick smile before turning her attention to Clarke. “Can you focus, please? My date is tonight and I don’t know what the hell to wear.”

Clarke’s eyes flash with recognition. “Oh, yeah. The date with the hot guy from the gym. Is it Friday already?”

“Clarke!”

Clarke makes a face. “Sorry. I’m focusing. What are you guys doing again?”

“We’re going to the fair.” Octavia brushes her hair out of her face as she turns back to the closet. “Obviously I don’t want to overdress, but I don’t want to underdress either. Why is this so hard?”

Clarke laughs. “I just don’t understand why you’re freaking out. You’ve never called me about what to wear for a date before.”

“Seriously, O, why are you freaking out?” Bellamy calls out.

Octavia wants to stomp her feet in frustration—why does it matter _why_ she’s freaking out. She spins around to find Bellamy’s face on the screen instead of Clarke’s. “I’m talking to Clarke, not you. You’re not going to be able to help me pick out an outfit. Please put her back on.”

“Fine.” Bellamy rolls his eyes but moments later Clarke is back on the screen.

“Sorry, he took it from me.” Clarke sighs. “But seriously, Octavia. You’re going to the fair so jeans are a must. You can do some cute boots. What’s the weather like there right now?”

“Sixties during the day. There’s still a bit of a chill at night so usually, forties after the sun goes down.” Octavia pulls out her favorite pair of jeans and tosses them onto the bed. 

“Hmmm,” Clarke mumbles. “Definitely sweater weather then. Do you still have that dark green one?”

  
Octavia shoves hangers from side to side as she looks for the sweater. “Ah-ha!” she cries in triumph as she pulls it from the hanger. “This one?” she asks as she turns to face the iPad once again.

“Yes!” Clarke nods. “That one looks great with your eyes. Wear your leather coat.”

Octavia lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Clarke. I don’t know why I was freaking out about this so much.”

“I assume because you like him?” Clarke asks.

Octavia nods. “Yeah, I do.” She glances at the time. “Crap, I’ve got to hurry up and get dressed. Thank you, I love you. You’re the best. Tell Bell and Aiden I love them too.”

“We love you, too. Have fun!”

Octavia changes her clothes quickly, butterflies already starting. She’s seen Lincoln twice more this week since meeting him, once this morning. He’d been true to her word and made sure to stop in and say hello to her. He’s just so damn nice and so fucking hot. Honestly, he seems too perfect. But she’s trying to not freak herself out too much before the date. 

She adds some simple hoop earrings before pulling on her ankle boots. She’s just grabbed her jacket when she hears a knock on her door. She takes one last glance in the mirror before leaving her room, pulling on her jacket as she heads to the door. She smiles when she sees Lincoln on the other side. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Lincoln is holding a bouquet of wildflowers in his hands that he extends towards her. “These are for you and you look amazing.”

“Thank you.” Octavia takes the flowers, bringing them to her nose, inhaling deeply. They smell amazing. “Come in while I put these in water. I just need to grab my phone and stuff and I’ll be ready.” 

Octavia doesn’t wait for him to respond as she turns and heads to the kitchen. She quickly grabs a vase, filling it with water and setting the flowers in it. They really are beautiful. She walks out of the kitchen to find Lincoln looking at the painting on her wall. “You like it?”

Lincoln turns his head to look at her, smiling as he nods. “I really do.”

“My sister-in-law painted it. She’s an amazing artist. She made that for my birthday last year. It’s one of my favorites that she’s ever done.” Octavia’s gaze roams the painting for a moment, bringing a smile to her face. There’s something about the abstract piece that just speaks to her—the splashes of red, black, grey, and white. She doesn’t know exactly what she sees when she looks at it, but she feels something deep in her soul. “Let me just grab my stuff.”

Octavia leaves him standing there and rushes back into her room, grabbing her phone, ID, debit card, and some cash—you never know what you might need. “Okay, I’m ready.” 

Lincoln, ever the gentleman, holds the door to his truck open for her to climb in before heading around to the driver’s side. They chat about their days, the weather, their jobs. It’s just small talk, but the more that they talk the calmer Octavia feels. There’s just something about Lincoln that puts her at ease—she doesn’t know what it is, but she likes it a lot.

They pull into the fair parking lot and it’s very full, at least considering the number of people that live in Polis. It looks like most of the town is at the fair tonight. Octavia doesn’t know if that’s a blessing or a curse. She guesses there’s only one way to find out. 

She manages to get her door open just before Lincoln gets over to open it and he frowns at her. She laughs. “Yeah, I’m not going to sit in the truck and wait for you to come around and get my door. Sorry, buddy.” She pats his arm lightly.

The fair isn’t huge, but it’s bigger than Octavia had expected it to be. Polis isn’t exactly a big town which is why it was surprising that there was a fair in the first place. Lincoln leads her to the admission booth, paying for their entrance before Octavia can even put up a fight.

“So what do you want to do first?” Lincoln asks her.

“Rides—definitely rides.” She grins up at him, barely containing her excitement.

Lincoln laughs. “You weren’t joking about liking rides were you?”

She shakes her head. “Nope,” she pops her p. 

“Guess it’s good that it’s unlimited rides tonight then, huh?” Lincoln laughs as he leads them to the ticket booth. This time Octavia pulls out her cash, trying to hand it to the person in the booth. Lincoln knocks her hand away. “I don’t think so. I invited you out so I pay.”

Octavia narrows her eyes. “I didn’t agree to that.”

“Sure you did, when you said yes.” Lincoln grins at her as he slides his wrist into the window so the attendant can put the armband around his wrist. “Your turn.”

Octavia steps forward and slides her wrist into the window. “Thank you,” she says as she pulls her arm back.

“So what do you want to ride first?” Lincoln asks.

Octavia turns around, craning her neck to try and see what rides they’re around. “Oh, the Breakdance! That’s a good easy ride to start with.” She pauses, glancing up at Lincoln. “You don’t get motion sick do you?”

Lincoln laughs. “No, I think we’re good there.” He gestures toward the ride. “Lead the way.”

Octavia skips off, excited. She loves fair rides—they are the literal best. There is a bit of a wait, but it doesn’t take long for them to get on the ride. It’s not really a ride she can scream and raise her arms during, but she still has a blast. She drags him from ride to ride, grinning the entire time. The Double-Shot, the Fire Ball, the Hurricane, the Kamikaze, and the Gravitron before they decide to go on some of the less daring rides.

“Okay, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” Lincoln tells her as they step off of the Tilt-a-whirl. 

Octavia’s stomach decides it’s a good time to growl causing both of them to laugh. “I guess I am too.”

Lincoln reaches for her hand, intertwining their fingers as he leads them towards the area of the fair that houses the food trucks. Octavia ducks her head to find her smile, warmth running up her arm from their linked fingers. 

“Any food allergies or preferences I should know about?” he asks.

Octavia shakes her head. “Nope, I eat pretty much everything.”

“Good to know.” he pauses. “I’ve got a friend who runs one of the food trucks. He also owns a restaurant but does the food truck for town events. It’s Greek food.”

“That sounds perfect.”

Lincoln greets the kid at the truck and orders for them. Two gyros, an order of Falafel Balls, and some Honey Nut Baklava. They find an empty table and scarf the food down.

“This is amazing,” Octavia moans after taking a bite of the baklava. “I mean, the rest was good, too. But this? This is heaven.”

Lincoln laughs. “I’ll make sure to let Nyko know. It’s a family recipe that he refuses to share with anyone.”

They finish eating and then walk around the fair, playing games and just talking. Octavia is surprised by just how easy it is to talk to Lincoln. They talk about her rebellious teen years when she was being raised by Bellamy after their mom passed away. All the anger and resentment she had at the world. The fights they had when she decided that college wasn’t for her. About how she ended up working at a ranch when she left home the day she turned 18 and how she’d fallen in love with it. 

The ranch had been run by a woman named Indra who had taken her in and taught her what she needed to know. She’d stayed there for two years before she got the itch and had to move on. She’s been moving every year or two since then. This is her fifth ranch and so far she really loves it.

They talk about how Lincoln had gotten into a lot of fights growing up and his dad had enrolled him in boxing—hoping that it would get him to stop getting into fights at school. Which it apparently had. When he’d graduated high school the owner of the gym had offered him a job and he’s been there ever since. 

“How do you feel about Ferris wheels?” Lincoln asks, nodding ahead of them.

“Not as thrilling as other rides, but they can be fun.” Octavia glances up at him from under her eyelashes. He’s looking toward the top of the Ferris wheel so it allows her to watch him unnoticed. There’s no denying how hot he is, but there’s also a gentleness about him that she finds attractive. It’s hard to reconcile this man with the boy that he described. If she were to pick a description for him it would be a gentle giant—that could destroy you if necessary.

Lincoln looks down at her, catching her staring. He doesn’t say anything, just smiles. “Shall we then?”

Octavia feels herself flush slightly as she nods. “Let’s.” 

They walk over slowly and wait in line. They talk while they wait, but not about anything important. When it’s their turn he helps her into the seat before climbing in. Once the lap bar is down he reaches for her hand again and then they’re off. It moves slowly, stopping occasionally to load and unload passengers. Octavia looks out over the fair and beyond. The great thing about Ferris wheels is how far you can see. The town is lit up even beyond where she can really see, but because the town is smaller when she looks up she can see the stars above her.

Suddenly Lincoln squeezes her hand and twists a little to face her. “So there’s something I need to tell you.”

Octavia freezes for a moment before slowly turning toward him. What the hell could he need to tell her? Is he married? He’s a convicted felon? Does he have a foot fetish? Her mind is racing from thought to thought even as she realizes she just needs to hear him out. “Okay,” she says slowly.

Lincoln laughs, she assumes at the look of panic she is sure is on her face. “Hey, it’s nothing bad. At least I don’t think so, but it’s important.” He takes a deep breath. “First, I really like you which is why I’m telling you this now so you can decide if this is what you want.”

Octavia nods slowly, telling herself once again not to freak out—not to get ahead of herself. It could be anything. 

“I have a daughter.” Lincoln pauses, watching her for her reaction. 

She wonders what he sees. Relief? Probably because that’s what she feels. A daughter she can deal with. She nods. “Okay.”

Lincoln smiles down at her. “Sometimes that’s a dealbreaker. I just need to put this out here—she’s my whole world. Dating me won’t be the same as dating other guys. I’m a single dad and I have to work around my daughter. And you won’t meet her unless I know we’re serious. I won’t bring people in and out of her life.”

“That makes sense. I wish my mom had felt that way.” Octavia shrugs. “Can I ask about her mom?”

“We weren’t serious and when she ended up pregnant I thought we should give it a try for the sake of our child. She agreed—or at least that’s what she said. She left in the middle of the night when Brooke—that’s my daughter—was a few weeks old. We haven’t heard from her since.” Lincoln looks out into the night.

Octavia does the same, realizing that they’re nearing the top once again. They jerk to a stop at the very top and she looks around with a small smile. It’s beautiful up here and quiet, the sounds from the fair so far below them. She squeezes his hand lightly. “You having a daughter doesn’t scare me or make me not want to date you. In case you were curious.”

“Good.” Lincoln smiles down at her for a moment before reaching up to cup her face. “You’re unlike any other woman I’ve ever met before.”

“I sure hope so. I’m not a fan of being like everyone else.” Octavia licks her lips, watching as Lincoln’s eyes track the movement. “Are you going to kiss me or not?”

Lincoln laughs, but then he is leaning forward. His lips brush against hers as if in question. Octavia brings her free hand up to grip his wrist. When he starts to pull back she leans forward, biting lightly on his bottom lip. She smooths over the spot with her tongue. The Ferris wheel starts to move again, but she doesn’t care as their tongues meet. 

When they pull apart they’re both breathing hard. Octavia grins up at him. “Wow.”

“Wow is right.” Lincoln chuckles before leaning over and brushing his lips across her once again before letting his hand fall away from her face. “I’m _really_ glad you moved here, Octavia.”

“Me too.” Octavia grins before snuggling up to his side. He drops her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders and Octavia sighs, content. “So tell me about Brooke.”

“Well, she’s ten and a handful.” Lincoln laughs, shaking his head. “She’s headstrong and doesn’t take crap from anyone. Which I guess is my fault. I’m not looking forward to the teen years though if she’s already this bad.”

Octavia laughs. “Well as someone who was once a headstrong teenage girl, you’re not ready.”

Lincoln helps her off the Ferris wheel once their ride is over and they decide to call it a night. Octavia can’t get over how easy it is to talk to Lincoln. It’s not something she’s used to, but she thinks she can get used to it. The ride to her house is easy and she’s never felt so at ease with someone before. Is this the way that it’s supposed to be when you find the right person?

Octavia stops herself. They’ve been on one date—there’s no way that she should be thinking about having found the right person. It’s way too soon for that. Lincoln walks her to the door and she finds herself nervous which makes zero sense. They’ve already kissed. What does she have to be nervous about?

Octavia unlocks the front door before turning around, back against the door. “I’m really glad you asked me out.”

“Me too.” Lincoln just looks at her for a moment, a small smile on his face. “I’d like to take you out again.”

“I’d like that a lot.” Octavia reaches out, grabbing Lincoln’s hand and pulling him closer. “I’d also like it if you kissed me again.”

Lincoln laughs. “Your wish is my command.” 

The kiss starts out slow but quickly turns more desperate. Lincoln lifts her, her legs going around his waist as he presses her back into the door. Octavia lets out a low moan as Lincoln’s lips find their way down to her neck, sucking on her pulse point. 

“You could come in,” she whispers, hands digging into his shoulders.

For whatever reason, her words cause Lincoln to freeze up and he pulls back. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Octavia frowns as he sets her on her feet. She doesn’t understand what just happened. Lincoln reaches down to cup her face in his large hand, smiling wryly. “I’d like to try and take this slow. Sex complicates things and I think this could be something, so I’d like to find out before we sleep together.”

Octavia considers him for a moment before nodding. “Okay, if that’s what you want.”

Lincoln laughs. “What I want is _you_ , but as someone who ended up with a kid from sleeping with someone too soon I’d like to try to avoid past mistakes.”

“That makes sense.” Octavia pulls him down for another kiss—this one is sweet, quick. 

Lincoln pushes the hair from her face as he pulls back. “Also, I know I told you about Brooke, but until I know this is serious I don’t want to introduce you to her.”

Octavia nods slowly. “I understand. Why introduce someone into her life that won’t be sticking around.” She pauses. “You’re a good dad.”

Lincoln ducks his head. “I sure hope so. Although there are times that I doubt that.”

“You are.” Octavia squeezes his hand. “I should probably head in.”

“Yeah.” But Lincoln doesn’t let go of her hand as he smiles down at her.

Octavia laughs, tugging on her hand. “I need my hand back if I’m going in.”

“I know.” Lincoln leans down to kiss her once more. “I just don’t want the night to end.”

Octavia knows that she’s grinning like an idiot, but she doesn’t care. “Yeah but the sooner we end it the sooner I can see you again.”

“That’s true.” Lincoln finally releases her hand as he steps back. “I’ll call you tomorrow?”

“I’m looking forward to it.” Octavia reaches behind her to open the door, walking backward into the house. Lincoln waits until the door shuts behind her before walking to his truck. Octavia watches as he drives away, giddy. 

She’s sure that the last time she felt like this she was in high school. This isn’t something she’s supposed to feel as an adult right? Fuck it, who cares. She smiles to herself the entire time she's getting ready for bed. Lincoln is still on her mind as her eyes fall close, a smile still on her face.

* * *

The next three months fly by as Octavia spends as much time as she can with Lincoln—when he’s available which is much less than she is. He takes her bowling, mini-golfing, to the movies, on picnics. All the while Octavia finds herself falling harder and harder for him. He’s everything she didn’t know that she needed and she’s completely head over heels in love with him. 

She knew she was falling, but it’s not until the day that she walks in on him teaching a group of kids in a Kickboxing class that she realizes just how far gone she is. It’s a Saturday afternoon and she’s just finished her own class but decided to stop by to say hi since she knows his own class will be wrapping up soon.

She smiles as she watches him help one of the girls adjust their stance before showing her how to properly do an uppercut. When the girl does it correctly Lincoln’s smile lights up his face and the girl’s own smile as she looks up at him pulls at Octavia’s heart. 

“Well, shit,” she mutters, smile dropping as Lincoln dismisses the class. She waits to feel panicked, smiling when she realizes that she isn’t. 

“Hey you,” Lincoln calls as she shuts the door behind her. 

Octavia leans against the closest door, grinning like an idiot as she watches him move around the room. She doesn’t say anything as she watches him but bites her lip as she watches the muscles in his arms ripple as he goes about setting the room back up. 

Lincoln narrows his eyes as he turns to face her. “What’s going on?”

Octavia doesn’t think twice about the fact that they’re both sweaty—although she is definitely sweatier than he is—as she walks over to him, throwing herself into his arms as she pulls him down for a kiss. They’re both breathless in seconds. 

“Now, what was that for?” Lincoln grins down at her. “Not that I’m complaining…”

“I love you.” The words fall from her lips easily and her heart soars. She loves him. She really loves him.

A grin breaks out on Lincoln’s face. “I don’t know what brought this on, but I love you too.” He leans down to kiss her again—this one brief. “As much as I’d love to make out with you in here and show you just how much I do love you, there’s another class starting soon.”

Octavia sighs. “Fine.” She rolls her eyes but she can’t stop smiling. She steps back. “How about tonight instead of going out you come over to my place?”

Lincoln’s eyes drop to where she’s biting her lip again, letting out an almost inaudible groan. “You’re going to be the death of me.” He picks her up, big hands under her thighs before walking forward. His lips are on hers before her back even hits the wall.

Octavia’s arms loop around Lincoln’s neck as she moans into the kiss. She tightens her legs as she rocks against him, pulling a groan from him. His lips pull away from hers, trailing down her neck and across her cleavage.

“We really can’t be doing this here,” he says against her skin.

Octavia’s head falls back against the wall, eyes falling shut. She knows he’s right, but at the same time, she just doesn’t care. Her nails dig into his back and his mouth moves back up to her neck. A desperate moan spills from her lips as he bites down lightly onto her pulse point before soothing the spot with his tongue.

A loud voice on the other side of the door causes them to jerk apart, Lincoln setting her back down on her feet before turning quickly to the front of the room to grab his back. Octavia sighs as she leans back against the wall, head lulling slightly as the door flies open and Luna walks in.

“Oh! Lincoln. Octavia,” Luna smiles. “I didn’t know you were in here.” She glances between them for a moment, a knowing smile on her face. “My class starts soon.”

Lincoln nods. “Yeah, we were just leaving.”

“Sure you were,” Luna laughs, winking at Octavia as she walks to the front of the room. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Sure,” Octavia chirps, head ducking as she feels herself flush. 

Lincoln wraps his arm around her shoulders as they head from the room. As soon as they’re on the other side of the door Octavia starts laughing as she leans heavily against Lincoln’s side and soon he’s joining her until they’re both laughing so hard they have to stop walking.

“It could’ve been worse,” Lincoln says once they’ve calmed down a bit.

“Oh yeah?” Octavia raises her eyebrows as she glances at him. “And how could that have been worse?”

Lincoln shrugs. “She could’ve walked in a few minutes later.”

Octavia shakes her head. “Nah, you would’ve stopped before then.”

“Hmmm…” Lincoln glances around for a moment before pulling her around the corner and pushing her up against the wall. “I think you have more faith in my self-control than I do.” When he kisses her Octavia can feel his desire, simmering just below the surface, that he puts into his kiss. He wants her just as badly as she wants him.

When they break apart they’re both breathing hard. Octavia blinks up at him for a moment before nodding. “Okay, you may be right. It would’ve been worse if she’d walked in a few minutes later.”

Lincoln laughs before leaning over to press a quick kiss to her lips. “I’ve got to get back to class. I have a personal training session soon.”

“Yeah and I’d better get to the grocery store if we want to have something to eat tonight.” Octavia shakes her head. “I don’t think I have any food in the house.”

“Why don’t we cook together?” Lincoln asks as he steps back, offering her his hand. 

Octavia nods. “Probably a good idea. I can cook the basics, but that’s about it. What do you want?”

Lincoln leans down to whisper in her ear, “I already told you—you.”

“I meant to eat!” Octavia laughs as she swats at him, the desire that’s been building now at a peak. She’s not sure how they’re going to make it through dinner tonight. She’s not sure that she can. 

“How about lasagna? Do you know how to make a pasta sauce?” Lincoln asks.

Octavia laughs. “IF you mean from a jar, sure.”

Lincoln sighs. “No, not from a jar.” He lets go of his hand to pull his phone from his bag. “I’m going to text you a list of what to get and how to make the sauce. It’s not hard but it takes a few hours to simmer. You should be able to do that. Then when I get there we’ll put it together and get it in the oven.”

“And what will we do while it’s in the oven?” she asks coyly.

Lincoln glances at her for a moment before shaking his head and turning his eyes back to his phone. “I’m sure we can figure something out.”

“I’m sure we can, too.” Octavia pulls out her phone when it goes off, reading over what he’s sent her. It looks simple enough. “Alright, let me get out of here then.”

Lincoln leans down and kisses her, hard—a promise. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Octavia is sure that she’s once again grinning like an idiot as she heads for the door, waving to the receptionist—but she just can’t find it in herself to care.

* * *

Octavia glances at herself in the mirror again, turning side to side still unsure. 

“O, you look hot. What is wrong with you?” Clarke’s laugh echoes from the iPad.

Octavia turns to glance at Clarke. She bites her lip before going to sit down on the bed, picking up the device. “Is my brother and nephew around?”

“You need girl talk? I’m on it.” The screen goes black and Octavia can hear movement as well as some muffled words that she can’t quite make out. A few minutes later Clarke appears back on the screen. “Sorry, I had to go to the bedroom. Now, what’s going on?”

Octavia sighs. “Lincoln and I haven’t slept together yet.”

“What?” Clarke’s shock is written all over her face. 

“I know. It’s not that we haven’t wanted to, but he wanted to wait until he was sure that this was actually going to be a thing.” Octavia shrugs. “I mean, I get it. He knocked up a girl he was casually sleeping with within a month of when they started sleeping together.”

Clarke nods. “That’s true. Does that mean it’s serious?”

Octavia smiles, shyly as she nods. “I love him.”

Clarke squeals. “Oh my God, O! This is wonderful news! Did you tell him? Did you say it back?”

“Yes and yes. Hence why we’re having dinner at my place tonight instead of going out. And why I’m freaking out.”

Clarke is grinning, but she nods. “You’re just trying to psych yourself out. You’re going to have an amazing night.”

“Right.” A knock on the door causes her head to jerk up. “Well, he’s here. Thank you as always for calming me down.”

“Anytime.”

Octavia ends the call and then heads for the door, smoothing down the edges of her dress. She’s second-guessing her outfit choice already. Why had she thought wearing a dress was a good idea? Lincoln’s never even seen her in a dress. She’s such an idiot. But it’s too late now. She tries to push down on her nerves as she pastes a smile on her face and throws the door open.

“Wow.” Lincoln’s eyes travel from her carefully styled hair to her face with its careful application of makeup down to the dress that hugs her curves, cutting off high on her thigh and further down her bare legs. “You look amazing.”

“Hey, big boy, my eyes are up here.” Octavia laughs. “Are those for me?” She gestures at the flowers that are now at Lincoln’s side, completely forgotten. 

“Uh, yeah…” Lincoln stutters but still makes no move to give them to her.

“Linc?”

“I-” Lincoln’s eyes finally meet hers and they flash with desire. He drops the flowers, hand curling into her hair as his lips descend on hers. His kiss isn’t soft and gentle as it usually is but instead filled with fire and passion.

Octavia’s hands claw at the front of his shirt as he pushes her against the door, but because it isn’t opened all the way it keeps moving and she almost loses her balance. Lincoln doesn’t break the kiss as he lifts her easily, reaching out to kick the door shut—flowers completely forgotten. 

Lincoln makes his way through her small house, but his lips never leave hers. Octavia’s hand rove his shoulder and back—whatever she can reach. When they reach her bedroom Lincoln heads straight for the bed, his lips finally leaving hers as he sits her gently on the bed. 

Octavia blinks up at him, lost in her own desire. She licks her lips as he pulls his shirt over his head, revealing his muscular body. She’s pretty sure she’s close to drooling. She reaches out and hooks her finger in his pants, pulling him toward her. She scoots back onto the bed, pulling him on top of her. 

Lincoln kisses her slowly, hands sliding down her body until they reach the hem of her dress. He pulls back from her, a question in his eyes. She nods, helping him as he lifts the dress up her body until she’s left in the lingerie that she’d bought just for tonight. It’s lacy and red and from the look on Lincoln’s face, he likes it just as much as she’d hoped he would. His lips find hers again as they lean back onto the bed once more and Octavia lets herself lose herself to desire.

* * *

Octavia lies with her head on Lincoln’s chest as one hand plays with her hair and the other is moving up and down her back. She feels weightless and happier than she ever has in her life. She wishes they could stay like this forever. She moves her head slightly to look up at him, finding that his eyes are already on her. 

“Hey,” he says quietly.

Octavia smiles. “Hi yourself.” She lets out a contented sigh.

“Worth the wait?” he asks.

“Totally worth the wait.” She raises up her elbow. “You know, we were supposed to eat first.”

Lincoln laughs. “I don’t know how you expected me to focus on making food _and_ eating dressed like that.”

“I just wanted to look nice for you,” she says coyly.

“And you did. And I appreciate it.” He pauses. “But I think I messed up your hair.”

Octavia laughs. “Yeah, I don’t care about that.” She lays her head back down. “I really don’t care about dinner either.” Her stomach chooses that moment to let out a loud growl.

“You may not, but your stomach seems to,” Lincoln says with a smile but doesn’t attempt to move. “I want you to meet Brooke.”

“What?” Octavia sits up causing Lincoln’s hands to fall to the bed.

Lincoln tilts his head to the side as he watches her. “I want you to meet my daughter. I told you that I didn’t want you to meet her until I was sure that this was serious. Well, I think it’s serious, don’t you?”

“Well, yes, but you want me to meet your daughter? Now?” Octavia swallows hard, suddenly nervous.

“Well, not right this second.” Lincoln chuckles. “I’d say we’re a little busy right now. But soon.”

Octavia nods slowly, mind racing. This is what she wants, isn’t it? Of course, it is. She smiles. “I’d really like that.”

“Good.” Lincoln pulls her down for a kiss which quickly turns desperate. 

Octavia moves up so that she’s straddling him. “But I think we should talk about that later, don’t you?”

Lincoln laughs as his lips trail down to her neck. “Yeah, later sounds good.”

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Octavia meets Brooke and it doesn't go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm back with another prompt fill! This was a prompt for t100 writers for BLM initiative and we are still taking prompts. Please check out [our carrd here](t100fic-for-blm.carrd.co) to see what we're all about. Is there a Christmas fic you'd love to read? A New Years' story you want to read? A song you KNOW needs to be made into a video? Or want a fic trailer done for your fic (because I'm getting quite good at those lol). If you want to donate, but don't know what to prompt we've got you covered there too.
> 
> If you're interested in seeing what else I'm writing and what my planned publication dates for that is, please check out my Tumblr post [HERE](https://sparklyfairymira.tumblr.com/post/632973715782729728/prompt-fic-updates). 
> 
> Title is from "You're Mine" by Disturbed. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!!!! And thank you to Brooke for making me the amazing moodboard!!!!

Octavia wipes her hands on her pants as she reminds herself to breathe. This isn’t a big deal—actually it’s a huge deal, but she’s trying to keep herself under control. Kids love her so this shouldn’t be a problem. Except that she’s not usually dating the father of said kids. She forces a smile when she sees Lincoln’s truck heading toward her before she waves. 

She and Lincoln had decided that bringing Brooke to the ranch would be a good activity for them to do together. Octavia feels comfortable at the ranch and what kid doesn’t love horses? She just hopes that it doesn’t turn out that Brooke has some irrational fear of horses. She really wants Brooke to like her. If Brooke ends up not liking her what would that mean for her relationship with Lincoln? She doesn’t want to lose him. 

Lincoln shoots her a smile as he climbs out of the truck and then the back door is opening and Brooke climbs out. Lincoln wraps his arm around Brooke’s shoulders and leads her over to Brooke. “Brooke, I’d like you to meet Octavia. Octavia, this is Brooke.”

“Hi, Brooke, it’s nice to meet you.” Octavia grins, trying to push down on her nerves.

Brooke eyes her a moment before wrinkling her nose. “It stinks.”

“Brooke,” Lincoln admonishes her before shooting Octavia an apologetic glance. “What did I say?”

Brooke shrugs. “Whatever, it does stink.” She pauses before sighing. “It’s nice to meet you too.” It’s obvious from her tone that she doesn’t mean it, but Octavia tries to not take it personally. 

“Why don’t we go check out the horses?” Octavia gestures to the path that leads to the stalls. She’s really hoping that the horses will turn the tide in her favor. 

Lincoln nods for Brooke to go ahead and once she starts to head that way he turns to Octavia. “I’m sorry. She’s been like this all morning. Give it time. She’s never met someone that I was dating before so it’s new for all of us.”

“It’s okay, I remember meeting the guys my mom was dating. I usually wasn’t nice because I didn’t think they’d stick around so I get it.” Octavia smiles, reaching over to squeeze his hand. “I can take whatever she dishes out.”

“Oh, I know you can.” Lincoln leans over and kisses her quickly before linking their fingers together and following behind his daughter.

Once they’re to the stalls Octavia drops Lincoln’s hand to catch up with Brooke. “We have about twenty horses here. We do a lot of horseback riding lessons and trail rides. There’s only a few in here right now because I let the rest out to the pasture this morning.”

Brooke glances up at her but then looks away, saying nothing.

“Work on a ranch starts early. I’m usually up at sunset to take care of the horses—that’s my job here. There are other people who work with the other animals. There are about four of us that take care of the horses which include feeding them, washing them, exercising them, and brushing them. Oh, and cleaning out their stalls—definitely not my favorite part.” Octavia laughs.

“So that’s why you stink?” Brooke asks as she steps up to one of the stalls to look at the horse inside.

Octavia frowns but holds up a hand when Lincoln opens his mouth to speak. “Probably. It’s not the most glamorous work, but I enjoy it. That’s Buttercup. She’s the horse that you’ll be riding today.”

“She’s pretty.” Brooke smiles as she continues to watch Buttercup.

Octavia breathes a sigh of relief. She knew that horses would help make a difference. “She’s very beautiful and she’s also very gentle. Why don’t we get her out and I’ll show you how we take care of them? Then I’ll teach you how we saddle them up.” Octavia grabs the halter and lead rope from the wall before stepping to the stall.

“Okay.” Brooke steps back as Octavia reaches for the latch on the door.

“Hey, Buttercup, you ready for a brush down? I’ve got some new friends for you to meet.” Octavia holds her hand out for Buttercup to sniff her hand. She smiles when Buttercup nuzzles her hand. “Okay, time to put your halter on.” She moves slowly so as to not spook the horse, but it doesn’t take long since she’s used to Octavia doing this. Then she hooks the lead rope and starts to lead Buttercup to the stall door.

“Can I pet her?” Brooke asks, eyes wide.

Octavia shoots her a quick smile. “In just a minute. I’m going to get her cross-tied first. Make sure you guys stay back while I do this.” She leads Buttercup out of the stall and to the grooming area. Once she has her tied off she steps back and waves Lincoln and Brooke over. “We do this so that the horses can’t lay down or get away while we’re grooming them.”

“And they don’t mind it?” Brooke asks, brow furrowed.

“Not at all.” Octavia shakes her head. “They know that when they come in here they’re going to get brushed and most of them love getting brushed so it’s a treat for them. Now, you always have to be careful around horses because if they kick you it can really hurt. So you always want to keep talking to them and keep a gentle hand on them so they know where you are. You don’t want to spook them.”

Octavia continues to walk through safety tips before they move on to the grooming. “Now, we groom the horses every day and you always have to brush them at the very least before you put their saddle on them.” 

Octavia shows Brooke and Lincoln how to lift the horse’s leg to be able to clean out anything stuck in there with the hoof pick. She moves from leg to leg until all four have been done. She picks up the curry comb. “You always start on the left side of the horse, mainly because this is a routine that they get used to. You brush in circles, but gently. And we’ll do this all over. Do you want to try?” she asks Brooke.

“Can I?” Brooke grins, taking the brush from Octavia. “Like this?”

“Just like that.” Octavia smiles at Lincoln. She told him that horses always win out. She turns when she sees movement in the stalls. “Sterling, perfect timing! Can you cross-tie Cherokee and Gypsy for me?”

Sterling sticks his head around the corner. “Sure. You need me to get Cherokee ready for you?”

“Yes, please. And would you mind showing Lincoln how to brush down Gypsy so we can saddle them up together?” Octavia turns to Lincoln. “I got Cherokee and Gypsy groomed before you got here but they’ll need to be brushed again. I’ll help Brooke finish up here.”

Octavia watches Lincoln leave with Sterling before turning back to Brooke. She helps her make sure she gets the whole horse brushed before grabbing a mane comb and detangler spray. “Next we want to make sure that her mane and tail are untangled. We use the spray to help because we don’t want to pull out the horse’s hair.” 

After watching Octavia for a moment Brooke takes over and Octavia is beaming internally at how well the young girl is doing. By the time they’re done Lincoln and Sterling are back and Octavia shows Brooke how to use the body brush for one last sweep for dirt and then the finishing brush. She unhooks Buttercup and leads her over to where Gypsy and Cherokee wait, already saddled. She hands the lead line to Sterling before grabbing the saddle pad. 

Octavia walks them through the steps of saddling the horse. “Don’t worry if you don’t remember this. It’s something that you learn the more you do it. But now we get to ride. I’m going to show you how to get up by getting on Cherokee. Then Sterling will help you up, okay?”

Octavia makes her way over to Cherokee and mounts him, moving slowly so that Lincoln and Brooke can see how to do it. Lincoln is able to get up with no problem. Sterling gives Brooke a boost and while she doesn’t do it as easily she doesn’t seem uncomfortable. Sterling quickly adjusts the stirrups so they’re the right length before untying the horses. 

“When you’re ready to go make sure you have the rein in your hand and you nudge the horse with your heels lightly.” Octavia demonstrates and Cherokee starts walking forward. She walks them through stopping and turning before they start toward the corral that Sterling opens for them. 

Once in the corral, Octavia walks them through the different paces. Soon all three are moving around at a canter. Octavia pulls back on Cherokee’s reins and lets father and daughter continue on, their laughter bringing a smile to her face. She dismounts and opens the gate, handing Cherokee off to Sterling. It’s easier for her to instruct from the ground. 

Lincoln comes to a stop next to her grinning. “I think you might be her favorite person right now. She’s having a blast.”

“I’m telling you. Kids love horses.” Octavia grins. 

A sudden loud noise causes Octavia’s head to jerk toward Buttercup and Brooke. Buttercup does well with noises, but inexperienced riders don’t always react well. She winces, already running across the corral as she sees Brooke yank on the reins. 

The next few moments move both in slow motion and much too fast as Brooke goes flying from Buttercup, landing on her arm and letting out a cry. Before Octavia even reaches her she knows that the girl has broken her arm, just by the angle that she lands on it. 

“Brooke, are you okay?” Octavia skids to a stop, kneeling beside the girl.

“Get away from me!” Brooke yells, jerking away from her. “I hate you! This is all your fault! Where’s my dad?”

“I’m right here, baby.” Lincoln drops down to his knees beside her.

“You’ll need to get her to the hospital,” Octavia says, woodenly as she tries to lock down her feelings. “Her arm is most likely broken. I can drive you if you want.”

“No! I don’t want you to come with us!” Brooke yells again, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Lincoln frowns before looking to Octavia, “It’s okay, I’ll take her.” He lifts Brooke into his arms. “I’ll call you later.”

Octavia stands, watching them walk away before moving over to help Sterling get the horses settled. Of course, Brooke injured herself—there’s no way she’s ever going to like Octavia after this. She goes through the motions on autopilot. She can’t believe that this happened. She couldn’t tell if Lincoln was mad or not. What’s going to happen? She just doesn’t know.

* * *

Lincoln runs a hand down his face, sighing. The day had been going so well. He knows his daughter well enough to know that she’d been having a great time—even if she would’ve tried to deny it later. But of course, she got hurt and blamed Octavia, and really it isn’t Octavia’s fault. Which he probably should make sure that she knows he doesn’t blame her—even if Brooke does. 

He pulls out his phone to text Octavia while Brooke is getting her x-rays. The doctor had given her something for the pain and informed Lincoln that the bone is for sure broken, but they need to do the x-rays to see how bad it is. He sees that Octavia has already texted him. 

_ Hey, I’m in the waiting room. Let me know if you need anything. _

Lincoln sighs, sticking his head out of the curtain to find a nurse. “Hey, my daughter is up getting x-rays and I need to duck out for just a second. If she comes back before me can you let her know that I’ll be right back?”

The nurse gives him a kind smile and a nod. “Of course. What’s her name?”

“Brooke. Brooke Woods.”

The nurse nods again. “Got it. I’ll let her know.”

Lincoln makes his way to the waiting room, eyes scanning the room until they land on Octavia. She jumps up when she sees him. 

“How is she?” The fear is written all over Octavia’s face.

“As well as can be expected. She’s getting x-rays right now. They gave her some meds for the pain. The doctor said it’s broken, but they’re just trying to find out how bad it is.” Lincoln cups her cheek. “I was just about to text you to let you know what was going on.”

Octavia shrugs. “I didn’t know if you’d need anything so I thought I’d head up here. I’m really sorry, Lincoln. I didn’t think she would get hurt. I work with people every day that are new on horses and injuries are so rare-”

“Hey, I know you didn’t mean for her to get hurt,” Lincoln cuts her off. “Accidents happens.” He sighs. “But Brooke blames you.”

Octavia’s head drops. “Of course she does.”

“Look, we both know that she was looking for a reason to not like you. This is just the easiest one to land on. We’ll keep trying. Eventually, she’ll see how amazing you are.” Lincoln leans down and presses a kiss to her forehead. “But I don’t think she’ll want you here.”

“Of course not.” Octavia jerks back. “I’m an idiot. I’m sorry. I’ll go home.”

Lincoln grabs her arm, pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her. “Hey, you’re not an idiot. You care. Like I said, we’ll just give it some time. It’s not like you’re going anywhere.”

“I’m not?” Octavia pulls back enough to look up at him.

Lincoln shakes his head. “No, you’re not. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Octavia shoots him a small smile before letting out a sigh of relief. “Can I be honest?”

“Always. I prefer it actually.”

Octavia laughs. “I thought you were going to break up with me.”

Now it’s Lincoln’s turn to laugh. “Over an accident? Don’t you know me better than that?”

“I know, but it’s your daughter and she got hurt.” Octavia shrugs. “Irrational fear I guess, knowing that she doesn’t like me.”

“It’ll be fine, I promise. We’ll figure it out.” Lincoln leans down and kisses her quickly. “But I do need to get back. Brooke should be back soon.”

“Of course. Call me later?” Octavia’s smile is forced, but he appreciates her effort.

Lincoln nods. “Yeah. Drive careful and text me to let me know you made it home okay?”

Lincoln watches her walk out the door before heading back. Brooke is lying in bed watching tv when he pushes back the curtain. 

“Dad, you’re back.”

“Yeah, I’m back. Sorry, honey. I had to make a phone call.” He walks over and presses a kiss to the top of her head. “How are you doing?”

Brooke shrugs. “I’m doing okay. It hurts a little but the medicine is helping. The doctor said that I’m going to get a cast. He let me pick out the color. It’s going to be hot pink. He said he’ll be down to talk to us in a little bit.”

“Awesome.” Lincoln sits in the chair next to the bed, watching the tv with Brooke but not really paying attention.

* * *

**July**

“Dad, why does she have to go with us?” Brooke whines.

Lincoln sighs, closing his eyes as he prays for patience. Ever since he’d told Brooke that Octavia would be joining them for their fourth of July weekend out of town all she’d done was complain. It’s been a few months since the incident at the ranch and Brooke has been cast free for about a week. She’s also been nothing, but rude to Octavia every time she’s been around.

Octavia has been handling it the best that she can with a brave face, but she knows that it bothers her. He’s hoping that this weekend could maybe be a turning point for them. Three days at a lake cabin. It’ll either be great or a disaster. 

“Brooke, I need you to get on board with this.” Lincoln shakes his head. “I love Octavia and she is going to be a part of our lives. You’d see how amazing she is if you’d give her half a chance.”

“I don’t want to give her a chance. I don’t like her and I don’t think you should be dating her.” Brooke crosses her arms over her chest as she pouts.

Lincoln bites back his sigh. “And why is that?”

“Just because.”

“That is not an acceptable reason, Brooke.” Lincoln takes a deep breath. “You need to give her a chance. Period.”

Brooke rolls her eyes. “And if I don’t?”

“If you don’t then you’re going to find yourself in a whole mess of trouble.” Lincoln narrows his eyes. “If you don’t start behaving then you’re going to start losing privileges.”

Brooke narrows her eyes as she considers him. He’s guessing she’s trying to figure out if he’s bluffing—he’s not. Finally, she nods. “Fine. I’ll try.”

  
  


“Good.” Lincoln shakes his head, glancing at his phone again. Octavia should’ve been here ten minutes ago. A knock on the door brings a smile to his face. He opens it, leaning down to kiss Octavia.

“I’m so sorry. I got in the truck and started driving over only I’d forgotten my suitcase.” Octavia shakes her head. “You guys ready?”

“Of course we’re ready,” Brooke says as she slides past the two of them. “ _ We’ve _ been ready for an hour.”

Lincoln barely holds back from growling at his child. They’d literally just talked about this. “Brooke.”

Brooke pauses halfway down the walkway, turning around with an obviously fake smile on her face. “I’m sorry. It’s good to see you, Octavia. Our bags are already in the truck. Can’t wait for this weekend.” She spins on her heel and heads to the truck.

“Uh….” Octavia shoots him a look. 

Lincoln laughs. “We had a talk. She says she’s going to try to give you a chance this weekend.”

“And what did you bribe her with?” Octavia laughs as Lincoln locks up the house and then grabs Octavia’s bag.

“Less bribing and more threatening.” Lincoln shrugs, stopping at the bed of the truck to put her suitcase in before pulling her in for another kiss. “Look, I’ll do whatever I have to do to get her to give you a chance.”

Octavia smiles. “That’s sweet, but there’s always a chance that she’s never going to like me, and then where will that leave us?”

Lincoln shakes his head. “I don’t think that will be an issue, but we’ll take it as it comes, yeah?”

“Yeah. I can do that.” Octavia nods before heading around the truck. “I love you. You know that right?”

“Yeah, I know. I love you too.” Lincoln lets out a sigh as Octavia climbs into the truck. Please let this be the weekend that the two of the most important girls in his life find a way to get along. He seriously has no idea what he’ll do if they can’t work it out.

* * *

**November**

Octavia stands in the terminal, eyes scanning until they land on Bellamy, Clarke, and Aiden. She holds up her sign, grinning as she waves it around.

_ Welcome to the best sister-in-law and nephew ever!!! _

_ (and to Bellamy too I guess) _

Clarke laughs as soon as she sees the sign. She hands Aiden off to Bellamy before pulling Octavia in for a hug. Seconds later Aiden’s arms are around her neck and her arms are full of a four-year-old. Bellamy hugs her close as well.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t get in before today,” Clarke says as they make their way to the baggage claim. “I didn’t get off until midnight last night. I barely slept.” She yawns as if to prove her point.

Octavia nuzzles Aiden as they walk. “It’s fine. Lincoln’s the one cooking, not me. So that left me free to come and get you guys. I am sorry to say there won’t be time to drop you guys off at my place before we eat though.”

“That’s fine. Clarke is used to running on no sleep, aren’t you, babe?” Bellamy wraps his arm around Clarke’s shoulders. 

“Not that I like it, but yes.” Clarke shakes her head.

“You guys are on carousel five. I checked while I was waiting,” Octavia says as she nods her head in the correct direction. Within thirty minutes they’ve gotten their bags and are in the truck for the hour-long drive. 

Clarke leans forward from the backseat and asks, “So how are things going with Brooke? Are they any better?”

“Yes and no?” Octavia shakes her head. “She’s still sassy as hell and she basically avoids me like I’m the plague when I’m over, but she no longer tells me so I guess that’s an improvement.”

“You just have to keep trying, O.” Bellamy looks over at his sister as he speaks. “Eventually you’ll wear her down.”

Octavia laughs. “I wish that I didn’t have to wear her down.” She sighs. “I really don’t’ want to talk about it. Tells me about California. How are things there?”

Octavia zones out as they talk, only half listening. She hasn’t admitted it to anyone but herself but she’s nervous about her family meeting Lincoln and Brooke. It’s not that she thinks that they won’t like one another, but she’s afraid of how Brooke will react. What if she’s rude to Bellamy, Clarke, and Aiden? What if she isn’t? She doesn’t know which would be worse. She knew that dating a single dad would be tough, but she hadn’t realized just how tough.

No point in worrying about it the entire drive, is there? Octavia sighs, shaking herself from her thoughts. “So, Aiden, are you going to ask Santa for that puppy this year?”

“Octavia!” Bellamy and Clarke both hiss her name which makes her laugh. She knows that Aiden has been begging for a puppy, but Bellamy and Clarke haven’t wanted to get one. 

When they pull up to Lincoln’s house she parks the truck before turning to her brother. “Leave your bags and be nice.”

“Me?” Bellamy asks. “Why wouldn’t I be nice?”

Clarke snorts from the backseat causing Bellamy’s head to snap in her direction. “Do you remember Atom?”

“He was a dick.” Bellamy rolls his eyes as he turns back to face Octavia. “But I see your point. I promise to be nice.” 

Octavia leads them up the walkway, pushing open the door. “We’re here!”

“In the kitchen,” Lincoln calls in response. 

Octavia heads back to find Lincoln just pulling the turkey from the oven. “Man, do we have great timing or what?”

Lincoln laughs as she comes over, kissing her quickly before turning back to the turkey. “Give me just a second. Yup, it’s done.” He walks over and washes his hands before coming back. “I’m Lincoln.” He holds his hand out to Bellamy.

“Lincoln, this is Bellamy. And that’s Clarke and Aiden.” Octavia’s eyes meet Bellamy’s, pleading with him silently to remember his promise.

Bellamy shakes Lincoln’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

Octavia lets out a sigh of relief. So far so good. “Brooke still up in her room?”

“Yeah. Why don’t I go get her?” Lincoln rubs a hand up and down her back. “She was being extra sassy the last time I went up to check on her.”

Octavia sucks on her teeth. “Yeah, probably best if you go get her then.” 

Octavia brings Bellamy, Clarke, and Aiden to the living room where they chat until Brooke stalks into the room, throwing herself onto the couch. Great. So that’s the kind of day it’s going to be. 

“You must be Brooke,” Clarke says, smiling. 

Octavia holds her breath, waiting for Brooke to explode but she doesn’t. Somehow they make it through the evening with her being halfway nice to everyone but Octavia. Which she’s come to expect so nothing out of the ordinary. As she drives them back to her house she thanks Clarke for running interference.

“Of course.” Clarke reaches up and squeezes her shoulder. “I know I was a little older when my mom brought home Kane, but I remember what it was like. Thinking that he didn’t actually want me or care about me—always pushing to see if he would leave us. But we have a great relationship now. I know it’s hard, but just give it time.”

Right. Time. But how much time did she have before Lincoln thought that she was too much trouble? Before Brooke made him choose? She doesn’t want to lose him, but she knows that if it comes down to it he’ll choose Brooke—as he should. She just really wishes it wouldn’t come to that.

* * *

**December**

“So do you have any idea what you want to get your dad?” Octavia asks Brooke as they walk through the mall. Brooke shrugs, not answering. Octavia takes a deep breath, reminding herself to be patient—something that has never been her strong suit. But she keeps trying, even when it feels like she’s beating her head against a brick wall. “Do you at least have a store in mind?”

Brooke stops suddenly, spinning to face her. “I don’t need your help picking out a gift for my dad. I’ve known him longer than you have.”

“Whoa.” Octavia holds her hands up. “I’m not here to help you pick out a gift. I’m here so that your dad doesn’t have to take you shopping for his gift. He thought it would be nice if you could pick something out for him without him being there.” She pauses. “And honestly? I was hoping that you’d help  _ me _ pick out a gift for him.”

Brooke narrows her eyes, remaining silent for a moment. “Is this a trick?”

Octavia laughs. “God, no. If you want we can call my brother and his wife and they can tell you about how I’m notoriously the  _ worst _ gift giver ever.” She shakes her head. “I got Bellamy a razor one year for Christmas.”

“No, you didn’t.” Brooke bursts out in laughter. “Why would you do that?”

Octavia shrugs. “I couldn’t figure out what to get him and I freaked out. I grabbed the first thing I could find.”

“That’s terrible.” Brooke shakes her head as she starts walking again. “Is that the worst gift you’ve given anyone?”

Octavia hurries to keep up with Brooke. This is the most Brooke has talked to her when they’ve been on their own. Usually, the girl just ignores her and refuses to speak. She doesn’t know why she’s talking, but she’ll take what she can. “Sadly, no. I got Clarke a breast pump for her birthday. Before she was pregnant.”

“What?” Brooke’s head spins toward her. “Why would you do that?”

“They were trying to have a baby so I thought they’d need one eventually. I thought I was being helpful. But now you see why I need your help.” Octavia sighs. She really is a terrible gift giver. She always ends up overthinking the gift and then at the last minute just grabbing something off the shelf so that she has a gift. It’s ridiculous. 

Brooke veers toward a store. “Yes, I can see that.” She shakes her head. “But how do you know that I won’t just help you pick out a terrible gift?”

Octavia shrugs. This is something she had thought of, but it’s not like she could help her pick out anything worse than what she would pick on her own. “I guess I’m hoping that you love your dad enough to not want to pick out a crappy gift for him.”

Brooke glances up from the shirts she’s been browsing through, shrugging. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

They seem to have at least a temporary truce as they make their way through the mall. Brooke picks out some art supplies to give him and helps Octavia pick out a few things. She finds a book of funny inspirational quotes, a few shirts, and a new set of boxing gloves.

“You’re sure this is enough?” Octavia frowns. None of this is something she’d think to get him on her own. They don’t seem like bad gifts, but they don’t seem like enough to show how much she loves him.

Brooke considers her for a moment before nodding. “There’s one more thing you could get him. He’s such a sap he’d love it.” She rolls her eyes. “Follow me.”

Octavia frowns but follows her to the other side of the mall. Octavia glances up at the name of the store before following Brooke inside. Vinyl Paradise. Hmmm. What is this?

“They do this cheesy thing where you can pick out a record of a song. They’ll put it in a frame with a message and whatever lyrics you choose.” Brooke gestures to the counter. “I’ve seen Dad looking in here a few times. It seems like something he’d be into.”

Octavia moves over to the counter and within 30 minutes she has another gift for Lincoln. By the time they make it back to the car Brooke isn’t talking to her again, but Octavia considers it a win. For a few hours, Brooke was decent to her and spoke to her of her own free will. Maybe one day she’ll even like Octavia. Or at least that’s her hope.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lincoln wants to ask Octavia to marry him, but Brooke isn't having any of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm back with the last chapter! This was a prompt for t100 writers for BLM initiative and we are still taking prompts. Please check out [our carrd here](t100fic-for-blm.carrd.co) to see what we're all about. Is there a Christmas fic you'd love to read? A New Years' story you want to read? A song you KNOW needs to be made into a video? Or want a fic trailer done for your fic (because I'm getting quite good at those lol). If you want to donate, but don't know what to prompt we've got you covered there too.
> 
> If you're interested in seeing what else I'm writing and what my planned publication dates for that is, please check out my Tumblr post [HERE](https://sparklyfairymira.tumblr.com/post/632973715782729728/prompt-fic-updates). 
> 
> Title is from "You're Mine" by Disturbed. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!!!! And thank you to Brooke for making me the amazing moodboard!!!!

Lincoln takes a deep breath before knocking on Brooke’s door. He rolls his eyes when she doesn’t answer, pushing open the door. “Brooke, honey?”

Brooke is laying on her bed, earbuds in her ears as her head moves along to the music that he can just barely make out. He shakes his head as he walks over to the bed, sinking down onto it. Brooke’s eyes shoot to him as she pulls out the earbuds. She doesn’t say anything as she just blinks up at him.

“You should probably listen to that a little quieter.” Lincoln winces internally. This is not how he wanted to start this conversation. Too late now.

“Okay, Dad.” Brooke rolls her eyes. “Did you need something?”

Lincoln nods, taking another deep breath. He can do this. It’s fine. “Yes, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Yeah, I got that.”

“Watch your tone, young lady.” Lincoln isn’t sure he’s going to make it through Brooke’s teen years with the way it’s going now. “I know that you and Octavia didn’t get off to the best start, but you know I love her, right?” 

Brooke shrugs, eyes glued to her phone. “I guess.”

Lincoln sighs. She’s really not going to make this easy. “I want to ask her to marry me.”

Brooke’s eyes dart up to meet his and Lincoln thinks he sees a flash of fear before her entire face becomes a mask of anger. “No.”

“That’s not quite how this works, Brooke.” He shakes his head. “What can I do to make this okay with you?”

“Nothing!” Brooke yells as she jumps off the bed. “This will never be okay and I will never be okay with it. I hate her. I don’t want you to marry her. I don’t want her in our lives. I  _ never _ want that.”

“Brooke-”

“No!” Brooke spins, running out of the room and before he can even stand up he hears the back door open and close.

Lincoln’s head drops. That went about how he’d thought it would, but that doesn’t make it any easier. He knows he can’t choose Octavia over his daughter—Brooke always comes first, but he doesn’t want to give up Octavia. He loves her so much and he’d never thought he’d get a chance like this at happiness. And it’s not like he can ask Octavia to be in this dating limbo forever—it’s not fair to her. 

Lincoln runs a hand over his face before standing up, walking over to the window that overlooks their backyard. He sees Brooke sitting on the hammock, back to him. Does she think that he loves Octavia more than her? He’s just not one hundred percent sure of what Brooke’s real fear or problem is with Octavia. No matter how many times he’s tried to talk to her about it, she’s just never given him a straight answer.

He glances at his watch as an idea begins to form in his mind. He makes his way out of Brooke’s room and heads out the back door. “Brooke?”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore, Dad.” Brooke doesn’t turn around as she speaks.

Lincoln reminds himself to take a breath—to not be reactive. “I was wondering if you might be interested in a daddy/daughter date. It’s been a while since we did one of those—which is completely my fault.” 

Brooke turns around, eyes narrowed. “You’re only asking so that we can talk about this.”

  
“Not only so we can talk about him.” Lincoln grins. His daughter is really too smart for her own good. “That is one of the reasons, but also I’ve neglected that tradition.”

“But you’re supposed to go out with,  _ Octavia _ ,” she says with a sneer.

Lincoln shrugs. “So I cancel. Octavia will understand. She knows that you’re my number one priority. And I’ve been focusing too much on mine and Octavia’s relationship and not enough on ours. I’d like to correct that.”

Brooke considers him for a moment before nodding. “Fine, but I get to pick what we do.”

“Sure, but that means you have to tell me if I need to dress down.” 

Brooke shakes her head. “No, we’ll dress up.”

Lincoln nods, leaning over to ruffle Brooke’s hair. “Sounds good kiddo. We leave in an hour?”

“Okay.” Brooke jumps off the hammock and makes her way to the house.

Lincoln sits onto the hammock as he pulls out his phone, shooting Octavia a text to let her know that he has to cancel which of course she understands because she’s amazing. Then he shoots a message to Luna to let her know that he doesn’t need her to watch Brooke tonight. 

It won’t take him long to get ready so he lies back on the hammock, figuring that he can relax for a few minutes before he gets ready. He feels bad that it’s been a while since he’s taken Brooke out on a date, they used to go at least twice a month. The tradition had started when Brooke had started school and Lincoln didn’t get to see her all the time. They’d continued all these years, but it’s been a few months since they’ve gone on one—which is completely on him and makes him feel like an ass. No wonder Brooke is so against him and Octavia, they’ve disrupted her life in more than one way.

Lincoln hopes that tonight can set them on the right path again. He needs to make sure that Brooke knows that he loves her no matter what. He will never choose Octavia over Brooke, but he’s still hopeful that they can be a family. Maybe tonight he can get Brooke to tell him why she’s so against his relationship with Octavia. He has to get to the bottom of this.

A glance at his watch tells Lincoln that he should probably start getting ready. He climbs out of the hammock and makes his way to the house, wondering what Brooke will want to do tonight.

* * *

Lincoln smiles as he glances over at Brooke. He doesn’t know how she knew that there was a movie in the park tonight, but he’s glad that she did. They’d had dinner at Nyko’s restaurant—it’s been Brooke’s favorite place to go for as long as he can remember. Then they’d made their way to the park where they were showing  _ Brave _ which is one of Brooke’s favorites—and one of his if he’s honest. 

As the movie ends Lincoln turns to his daughter. “How does a walk sound?”

Brooke turns to him, a sour look on her face. “Is it the time in the evening where we  _ talk _ ?”

“Yes, smartass, it is.” Lincoln laughs. “Come on.” He helps her to her feet before gathering the blanket from the ground. They walk slowly through the park in silence. Lincoln isn’t sure exactly how to start this conversation, but he knows that it needs to be had. “How about we sit?”

Brooke shrugs but makes her way over to the nearest bench. Lincoln sits beside her, tossing the blanket into the space between them. 

“Brooke, why are you so against Octavia and me?” He holds up a hand when she opens her mouth. “Give me a second, please? Are you afraid that I love her more or that I will love her more? Because that’ll never happen. You need to know that.”

Brooke is looking down at the ground, refusing to look at him. “That’s not it.”   
  


“Then what is it? I just don’t understand and I don’t know how to fix it. You’ve got to work with me here. I want to be happy, but not at your expense,” Lincoln pleads.

“If you guys get married then you’ll have kids together,” Brooke’s voice is quiet and wavers slightly, a clear indication that she is close to tears. “If you have kids with her you’ll both forget about me. You’ll love them more.”

“No.” Lincoln grabs Brooke’s hand. “That is not true. Even if Octavia and I have more kids we’d never forget about you or love you less. Look at me, baby.”

Brooke doesn’t immediately look at him, but when she does he sees the tears in her eyes—and worse, the fear. She really thinks that they’ll forget about her. 

“I love you more than life itself,” Lincoln begins. “Any other kids I may or may not have wouldn’t make me love you any less. There’s enough room in my heart to love more than one person. And Octavia? All she wants to do is love you and for you to love her. She’s been trying so hard with you because she wants to be there for you. She loves you even with as horrible as you’ve been because I love you.”

Brooke blinks up at him and he watches her face fall. “I  _ have _ been terrible to her. Why doesn’t she hate me?”

“She could never hate you, Brooke.” Lincoln sighs. “And you’d love her if you gave her half a chance.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” Brooke says as her tears begin to fall. “I was just so scared she was going to take you from me. And then you want to marry her and I just thought that you wouldn’t care about me anymore.”

Lincoln shakes his head. “That will never happen.” He pulls her in for a hug. “But you do know that I’m not the person you need to apologize to, right?”

Brooke nods against his chest before pulling back. She wipes the tears from her face and clears her throat. She pulls her phone from her purse and selects a contact. She waits as the line rings. “Octavia? It’s Brooke.” She pauses. “No, everything is okay. I was just wondering if you might be free tomorrow?”

Lincoln watches as Brooke pauses, listening to whatever Octavia is saying. He’ll have to call her later because he can obviously only hear Brooke’s side of the conversation.

“I need to get some new clothes and I thought you might be able to help me pick some out. I love your style. And then maybe lunch and a movie?” Brooke bites her lip and Lincoln can tell she’s nervous—he knows she’s afraid that Octavia is going to turn her down after the way she’s treated her. “Really? Yeah, that would be great. See you then.”

Lincoln smiles at Brooke as she hangs up the phone. “Thank you.”

“If you want to marry Octavia, I’m okay with that. As long as you promise that you guys won’t forget about me when you have kids.” Brooke gives him a small smile.

“Never.” Lincoln stands up, pulling Brooke to her feet before pulling her against his side. “I could never forget about you and thank you. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

As they walk back to his truck Lincoln feels like his heart is going to burst. He knows that they have a long way to go, but this is a step in the right direction. And he can’t wait to spend the rest of his life with the two more important girls in his life.

* * *

Octavia climbs out of Lincoln’s truck, pushing her sunglasses to the top of her head for a moment so she can take in the view. She loves this area so much—enough that even if it wasn’t for Lincoln she might still be considering making this place her home. Her eyes stray to Lincoln at this thought. She loves him so much and she knows that as long as he wants her in his life she isn’t going anywhere. Especially now that Brooke seems to have finally accepted her.

When Brooke had called her out of the blue while she knew she was out with Lincoln Octavia had panicked. She was sure that they had been in an accident or that something else equally as terrible had happened, because why else would she be calling? But instead, she’d asked to speak the next day with Octavia. Octavia had been blown away—especially when the next day had gone well. 

She and Brooke have hung out on their own a few more times since then and she’s been pleasant. When Octavia asked Lincoln about it he’d just shrugged and said that she’d realized that Octavia wasn’t going anywhere. 

Octavia had expected Brooke to be joining them on their hike today as she has for most of their most recent ones, but Lincoln had told her that Brooke had other plans. Honestly, he’s been extremely weird today but she’s just going to let that go for now. A late afternoon hike is just what she needs. 

They hit the trail and move at a quick pace. This is their favorite trail and nine times out of ten they’re making the hike as quickly as they can for the workout. She loves taking the time for the view, but that’s not what she needs today. Today she needs to feel the burn of the workout and to clear her mind. Plus, they can’t take too long because they’ve started so late that they don’t want to climb at night. They’ve often hiked back down after dark, but never hiked up in the dark. 

When they reach the top of the mountain Octavia smiles to herself. The sun is starting to set, the sky changing colors and she really loves the way it looks from here. This is the perfect time to be up here. She feels free. 

Octavia lets her eyes fall shut as she throws her head back, just enjoying the quiet and the beauty of being so far away from everything. Her eyes pop open when she hears Lincoln rustling around. She turns to find him sitting on a blanket, a basket next to him.

“What? Where did that even come from?” Octavia asks as she walks over. She knows he wasn’t carrying it with him while they were hiking.

Lincoln gives her a soft smile as he gestures for her to sit. “Surprise.”

Octavia rolls her eyes as she settles onto the blanket, watching as Lincoln opens the basket and begins pulling out food and a lantern. “Yeah, I got that it’s a surprise, but  _ how _ ?”

“Magic.” Lincoln doesn’t look up from pulling out the food—and there’s so much food. She doesn’t understand why there’s so much food.

“Why are you acting so weird today?” she asks, brow furrowed. 

Before Lincoln can answer she hears a rustling behind her and she spins around, body on high alert. She relaxes when she sees that it’s Brooke, but she’s even more confused than she was before. “What are you doing here? Your dad said you weren’t coming today.”

Brooke doesn’t answer right away as she makes her way over to them, dropping to the blanket next to her dad. “We wanted to surprise you.”

“Okay?” Octavia is so confused, it’s not even funny. She has no idea what’s going on. Obviously, father and daughter have something cooked up but she can’t figure out what it is. She stares at them blankly, waiting for one of them to explain what the hell is going on.

Brooke glances at Lincoln before turning back to Octavia. “I want to apologize for the way that I’ve treated you. It wasn’t fair to you or my dad.”

Octavia shakes her head. “I get it. I was this random woman that your dad started dating when you’ve been the only girl in his life for your entire life. But we’re past it now. Don’t even worry about it.”

“But I do,” Brooke says softly. “I don’t like the way I treated you because you did nothing wrong. You were nothing but patient with me even when I was a spoiled brat.” She laughs. “But that’s one of the many things that makes me know that you’re going to be a great mom. To me and to any kids you and my dad might have.”

Tears fill Octavia’s eyes as she looks at Brooke. She doesn’t know what to say. She’s waited so long for this moment—for Brooke to accept her. She was never sure that she would accept her and she feels like her heart is going to burst. Then the words register with her. Kids with Lincoln? It’s not even something that they’ve talked about—not that she’s against the idea. It just seems like an odd thing for her to say. 

Octavia glances at Lincoln and gasps. He’s now kneeling on one knee, a ring in his hand. Holy shit, is this happening?

“Octavia I love you. I know you know that, but I want to tell you that every day for the rest of our lives. I don’t ever want to go a day without seeing you, without talking to you. I want to build a life, a family with you.” He glances at Brooke. “So does she. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. So will you marry me?”

“Yes.” Octavia doesn’t even hesitate. “Yes. Yes. Yes.” She, Brooke, and Lincoln all laugh as Lincoln takes her hand in his, sliding the ring onto her finger. Tears spill down her cheek as she launches herself at Lincoln, kissing him.

“Ewwww. Okay. Enough kissing. Please.” Brooke yells from beside them.

Lincoln and Octavia laugh as they break apart. They reach out and pull Brooke in for a hug with them. Octavia tries to remember a moment where she’s felt this happy, but she can’t think of one. She presses a kiss to the top of Brooke’s head. “You know, I love you too, right?”

Brooke looks up at her, a small smile on her face. “I know and I love you, too.”

Octavia beams at her, tears slipping down her cheeks once again. She knows that life won’t always be easy or always happy, but in this moment she knows that her life will be happy. She has a man that loves her and his daughter that she hopes one day see her as the mother she never had. And the kids that they might have in the future, they’ll know that they’re loved. 

Octavia settles against Lincoln’s side and Brooke moves over to lay her head in Octavia’s lap. As Octavia plays with her hair, they watch the sunset together—a unit, a family. This is how she wants to spend the rest of her life and now she’ll get to.


End file.
